Making Ideas Work: Innovation, Strategy, Leadership and Latin American Markets

Tag Archives: coherence

For the last month I have been involved in an ongoing process of transformation with an organization in the education sector. While my role was not clearly defined at the beginning, each day that passes it is becoming clearer that my work is based on making things coherent.

Coherence is defined as systematic or logical connection or consistency and an integration of diverse elements, relationships, or values by Merriam-Webster dictionary.

I was reading a piece from a US education organization where they were talking about the challenge of leaders in the education sector and they used the phrase: “turn overload into coherence.” I thought it particularly apt for a post on this blog where I often talk about leadership and about managing complexity (the theme from last year’s Drucker Forum).

The challenge of turning overload into coherence is not reserved only for the education sector. It appears everywhere where we have high-level strategic decisions being compressed into a hectic schedule of priorities and deliverables. The key is finding coherence; connections that allow us to utilize resources efficiently while contributing to the mission of the organization.

In previous posts, I have talked about branding, authenticity and how to consistently do what you say you are going to do and what people expect of you. Coherence is fundamental in branding; ensuring that your message, values, “reason for being” is consistent and integrated across all your communications and your actions.
In closing, coherence is the way to take abstract ideas and ensure they are implemented in the various areas of your organization. Actions yield results but they should be the “right” results and implemented by motivated individuals who understand why they are doing what they are doing.

Authenticity is what separates leaders from followers. Coherent actions that build on the reputation of an organization or leader are at the center of what makes a brand and a loyal following of customers, community, employees, —people!

We are skeptics. People sense “hype” and increasingly gravitate toward “real” experiences. Access to information, reviews, testimonials, stories etc. through various social media and community platforms have also made people demand more coherent and authentic actions from leaders.

To prove my point on the power of authenticity, here are a few phrases on authenticity:

Yes, in all my research, the greatest leaders looked inward and were able to tell a good story with authenticity and passion. – Deepak Chopra

“How can I differentiate my company in the marketplace?” My reply to every president, chief executive officer, or vice-president of marketing is always the same: “Why do you want to be different?” We are swimming in an overabundance of products and services. “Different” is no longer a differentiator. What is? Creating an authentic relationship with your customers. -Sohrab Vossoughi writing in Bloomberg’s Businessweek

“I had no idea that being your authentic self could make me as rich as I’ve become. If I had, I’d have done it a lot earlier.” -Oprah Winfrey

“Authenticity is the alignment of head, mouth, heart, and feet – thinking, saying, feeling, and doing the same thing – consistently. This builds trust, and followers love leaders they can trust.” -Lance Secretan

Authenticity may be considered a buzzword by some but its benefits go beyond buzz….being authentic can help you connect and develop long term (and mutually beneficial!) relationships with markets in Latin America. Here are some my articles in Spanish on the topic of authenticity: